Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin once again discussed current cooperation issues during telephone conversations held on August 23. This is the third conversation between the ministers in the last 10 days.
As reported by URA-Inform, Umerov himself reported this on his X page (former Twitter).
During the conversation, Umerov informed Austin about the current situation at the front, the urgent needs of the Ukrainian army and plans for the near future. One of the central topics of discussion was preparation for the next meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, which is scheduled for September. Umerov expressed gratitude to the United States for its continued and strong support for Ukraine.
In turn, Lloyd Austin also confirmed the continued support of the United States in Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression and congratulated the Ukrainians on Independence Day.
Recall that this is not the first conversation between Umerov and Austin in August. They previously discussed operational issues on August 14 and 19.
Had a weekly phone call with @SecDef Lloyd Austin.
I informed Secretary Austin about the current situation on the frontlines.
Based on the operational situation, we discussed our urgent military needs and plans for the near future.
One of the key topics was the preparation for…
— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) August 23, 2024
It is also worth noting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened the Russian Federation on Ukraine's Independence Day.